Turkey Fryer Questions

[Troutman10]

I think that I'll be sticking with the Turkey Fryer for at least another year despite me wanting to put up a block arch for 2012. I have excuses including the weird weather. Not sure on the exact # of taps I'll have either. Thinking about having 10 or so. Gotta buy some more supplies in the next couple weeks. I'm still learning and taking it slow since last year. Now to my question, common sense tells me that I should have a better evap rate with a hotel pan on the turkey fryer. Is this true? Does/Has anyone else done it this way? Last year I used my turkey fryer pot, but was left looking for a faster process. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[spencer11]

you should get a better gph with a steam pan. i use them on my oil tank evaporator. if on a turkey cooker run it shallow, about 1-2 inches of sap. make sure to pre-heat the sap for the best gph rate. i use to use a pot and it dosent do very well. i did a block arch last year and i made alot more money because of what i save on propane.

spencer

[Redmaple]

Boil in the new pans and finish in the turkey cooker this will speed up your cook time.

[eustis22]

Trout, that's what I used last year, ss steam pan, full size but 4 inches deep on a turkey fryer...best I could do was 1 gph...I walled it in with plywood to cut the wind, and I couldn't get a roiling boil. I spent $80 on propane, ended up with 1 gallon of syrup out of maybe 100 gallons drawn (there might have been some spillage...lmao) and I destroyed a turkey roaster by not paying attention. Did I mention I also blew up my coleman stove :)? if you go this way, drop some $$ on cinder blocks and keep the space tight to keep the heat IN. Wind is killer. Cold isn't much better. Good luck. if nothing else, you'll be incentivized enough to get that arch up.

[Cake O' Maple]

Last year I started boiling w/ a neighbor who had used a turkey frier the year before, and moved in 2011 to an oval roasting pan for more surface area. I convinced him to use a full-size hotel pan (by buying the thing as part of my input) and he LOVED it. Don't know his gph. He tried to block the wind, but wasn't terribly successful.

This year I'm boiling, using a couple propane burners surrounded by firebrick to hold in the heat AND block the wind. (I planned on 18 taps, started purchasing, and found 45 more, so bought a 2nd burner. One is 105,000 BTU's and the other is 210,000. Woof!)

Definately block the wind, but cinderblock or regular bricks will break down from the heat.

Good luck, have fun, and enjoy that smell!!!

[Skarda Maple Farms]

I boiled with a turkey fryer for 4 years and I learned a lot. First lesson: use fire bricks. The other guys are right, the wind was a killer. In order to preheat my sap, I stacked pans of sap on top of a large shallow pan, so that the syrup that was being boiled would steam and in turn preheat the cool syrup. One big problem I noticed was that the turkey fryer cord that was attached to the burner melted due to the heat. If I had to do it again I would have protected the rubber with a fire blanket. It was a good way to start with making syrup, but it was very time consuming and I had to spend a lot of money on propane.

[grimmreaper]

Troutman , not to mention by using the turkey fryer it won't hurt to have plenty of beer on hand & a big screen tv near by.lol...

[SDdave]

One big problem I noticed was that the turkey fryer cord that was attached to the burner melted due to the heat... I had to spend a lot of money on propane.

I had a similiar situation last year, and as a result I firmly believe in Guardian Angels and boiling in clean underwear. I actually burnt the hose from the orifice, talk about a fire ball. After that I dumped out my crown coke, and swithced to crown.:-|

Some pointers that I also learned from last year. Make an arch out of cinder blocks/firebrick, but make sure you have it located somewhere like on dirt, not on your lawn. I hope my 4' by 4' area of grass comes back this year. IF your using one frier put a hotel pan over the flame and one on each side. You'll be surprised how much heat is retained.


This year I'm boiling, using a couple propane burners surrounded by firebrick to hold in the heat AND block the wind. (I planned on 18 taps, started purchasing, and found 45 more, so bought a 2nd burner. One is 105,000 BTU's and the other is 210,000. Woof!)

I hope this works out for you Cake, but it sounds a bit excessive and I am afraid you might be burning $$ away literally. I have done a lot of figuring and that is how many BTU's I would need to max out a 42" square 304 stainless bulk tank. That's my $0.000001. (My thoughts aren't worth much I have been told:confused:).

Best of luck to you all. Let me know how you do with evaporation rates and what not.

SDdave

[eustis22]

yeah, I forgot about the beer

here's what that turkey fryer drove me to (before and after)

52495250

[Cake O' Maple]

One big problem I noticed was that the turkey fryer cord that was attached to the burner melted due to the heat. If I had to do it again I would have protected the rubber with a fire blanket.

Thank you for saying that, and for suggesting a solution! Am building it all today, and I think I will cut a slit in my blanket that will sit on the cement floor, and slip the rubber cord underneath.

[Cake O' Maple]

I had a similiar situation last year, and as a result I firmly believe in Guardian Angels and boiling in clean underwear. I actually burnt the hose from the orifice, talk about a fire ball. After that I dumped out my crown coke, and swithced to crown.:-|


I hope this works out for you Cake, but it sounds a bit excessive and I am afraid you might be burning $$ away literally. I have done a lot of figuring and that is how many BTU's I would need to max out a 42" square 304 stainless bulk tank. That's my $0.000001. (My thoughts aren't worth much I have been told:confused:).



Thanx for the laugh! What a thing to live through. Hope the underwear was still clean when you switched to just crown.

Also thanx for your 2 cents (I'm giving you a raise). Both burners are adjustable, and I plan on utilizing what I've got when I need it, and keeping an optimum boil along with an optimum flame. Like boiling pasta, turn it up when the sap is cold, down a bit to keep it in the pan but keep a great boil once it starts. I'm pretty cheap, I mean frugal, and will watch the flame to make sure I'm not just blowing through propane.

[SDdave]

Good to hear. Protect those hoses!!

SDdave